News

News

Police Blotter: Jan. 12-18

By Ryan Grannan-Doll | January 13

From intoxication to misreported white powder, the incidents Public Safety responded to from Wednesday to Tuesday.

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Metro Brief: Summer jobs for everyone young

By Emily Carone | January 13

Metro brief on D.C. city councilmembers' attempts to score summer jobs for the District's young people.

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Laptops, cell phones harm health

By David Hodges | January 13

Prolonged cell phone use can damage DNA beyond repair and males who rest laptops on their laps can reduce chances of reproduction by damaging the environment needed to create sperm, according to several new studies.

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SIS building reduced to mulch

By Kate Oczypok | January 13

The School of International Service Annex was demolished during winter break. It took several days to push over the building, clear it from the spot and change the area to a flat, mulch-covered field. The annex had been used as office space for SIS professors, who have now been relocated.

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City Calendar

January 13

Calendar of city events for Jan. 13.

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News

Kay hosts speaker on King's vision and justice

By Lauren Gardner | January 13

The Rev. Dr. James A. Forbes, Jr. spoke in Kay on Tuesday about Martin Luther King Jr.'s vision and the need for parties to work together for progress to keep America from "peril." Forbes gave the address "The Mandate for Prophetic Justice," the Third Annual R. Bruce Poynter Lecture hosted by the Office of the University Chaplain and the Metropolitan Memorial United Methodist Church.

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City Calendar

By Emily Carone | January 13

From art exhibits and handwriting analysis to post-inaugural comedy and swing lessons, a calendar of events going on around D.C. this week and month.

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WAMU hires new director

By Stokely Baksh | January 13

Caryn G. Mathes will take over as general manager of WAMU 88.5 FM, AU's public radio station. Her appointment comes a little more than a year after AU's Board of Trustees removed Susan Clampitt from the position after The Washington Post brought attention to a financial deficit and employee morale problems at WAMU.

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Student witnesses waves in India

By Anne Godlasky | January 13

Last month, AU student Vandana Duggal's family changed their plans when an airline called to tell them they could get tickets to the Andaman Islands off India's coast. "We weren't even supposed to be going ... [but] it's so hard to get to, so we said 'yeah, why not?'" Duggal said. On Dec. 26, her family awoke early to get on their way to Havloc, one of the most beautiful islands in the world. It was then, on a jetty half a mile into the sea, that Duggal was faced with one of the worst experiences of her life, and Southeast Asia was pummeled by one of the worst disasters in history.

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Campus Brief: Reading initiative earns Eagle Endowment grant

January 13

The Eagle Endowment for Public and Community Service and the Graduate Student Council awarded two AU graduate students, Paul Glick and Lindsey Kingston, with its second annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Grant. A five-member committee selected Glick and Klingston, both graduate students, for the $1,000 award.

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Navigating Inauguration Day

By Emily Carone | January 13

Before you head downtown on Thursday, here are some things you should know about where to be, how to get there, and how to keep yourself as safe, comfortable and hassle-free as possible.

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New religious group will 'gather' at AU

By Kate Oczypok | January 13

The Gathering, a religious community based out of McLean Bible Church in Tyson's Corner, Va., will begin weekly services at AU on Jan. 23, making the University the first in the D.C. area to host the Gathering. The group's vision is to impact secular Washington with the message of Jesus Christ, according to John McGowan, pastor of the Gathering.

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D.C. murders at 18-year low

By Mary Specht | January 13

Almost 200 murders occurred in D.C. in 2004, the fewest since 1986. In the Police Service Area that includes AU, no one was murdered last year, but theft was up 21 percent from 2003. Overall, crime dropped in every major crime category in all seven districts, according to preliminary statistics, said Metropolitan Police Department Chief Charles H.

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Free holiday cab rides to reduce drunk driving

By Emily Carone | December 13

Local police departments and safety programs are aiming to improve highway safety through sobriety checkpoints and free cab rides for intoxicated drivers during the holiday season. The Washington Regional Alcohol Program offers free cab rides from 8 p.m. to 4 a.m. through Jan. 1 for people who are too intoxicated to drive home. "SoberRide" pays up to $50 in cab fare. The program is also available on Halloween, St. Patrick's Day and Independence Day.

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Plan provides student tuition refunds

By KIAH CULVER | December 13

About 250 AU students have signed up for the Tuition Refund Plan, which allows students who have to leave school unexpectedly for health reasons to get some of their tuition reimbursed, according to Student Health Center Director Daniel Bruey. The Wall Street Journal reported earlier this fall that this sort of insurance is becoming more popular for students nationally.

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Campus Brief: Anime Society hosts Uberfest

By Khai Ha | December 13

Last Friday the Anime Society, an AU student group, hosted its annual Uberfest, a 24-hour long event featuring free food, games and popular Anime movies. With more than 30 people in attendance, meeting everyone's demands was difficult, according to President Sonja Lenning. The movies chosen for viewing were selected from a broad category, ranging from adult content movies to family-oriented films.

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Public Safety responds more quickly to Blue Light tests

By Mary Specht | December 13

Public Safety responded faster to the Women's Initiative's Blue Light tests this fall than it did last spring, Women's Initiative Director Sarah Mashburn announced to the General Assembly Sunday. All of Public Safety's response times were under two minutes in tests conducted Nov. 19 and Nov. 30. In tests last spring, Public Safety took up to eight minutes to appear on the scene. "I think after both the [Blue Light testing] walks, it's clear that Public Safety is making a commitment to make our campus safer, and they evaluated the results from last year so they could respond better," Mashburn said. Response time was longest at two minutes at the red phone in Mary Graydon Center. The shortest response time was 55 seconds at the Blue Light in the Woods-Brown Amphitheatre.

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